Welcome to our Social Care/Community Care team, part of the Civil Department which also covers housing, education, welfare benefits, and public law.
What we can do in our Community Care team
Community Care law is about the provision of services to people by Social Services and the health authorities. It includes how these authorities do assessments of people’s care needs, the preparation of care plans, and provide for people’s care needs.
This can be about residential care, help in the home, meals on wheels, aids and adaptations or special equipment for disabled people, advocacy and help dealing with finances.
If you have care needs, because of your ill-health or disability, but Social Services are not helping you, we can use the law to make sure your needs are properly assessed. Then, once your needs are worked out the law can help to make sure provision is made for them. If the provision is not right then this can be challenged using the law. This can mean bringing court proceedings against your local Social Services department
You may need help with your care at home. Maybe you need money so you can afford for your partner to do this, or maybe you want residential care. Community Care law can be used to help you. If you are stuck in hospital because there is nowhere for you to go or you need services to help you manage independently, the law can be used to help you get access to services and accommodation.
If you live in a care home and the home is threatened with closure, or there are big changes such as the nursing care being withdrawn, we can advise you and represent you to challenge authorities such as the health trust, the residential home, and social services.
We challenge unfair decisions of public bodies, taking proceedings in the High Court where necessary.
Linked with our work in welfare benefits, housing, and public law, we can advise on your rights to care or as a carer, and your rights under the European Convention for Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms.
